Printed inserts for thermoformed plastic disposable food containers

ABSTRACT

A beverage container lid has an insert area for placement of a paper insert with graphics printed thereon.

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Serial No. 60/225,122 filed Aug. 14, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Thermoformed plastic disposable food containers, trays, plates,cups, and cup lids, clamshell boxes and the like (collectively,“thermoformed disposable food containers”) are becoming increasinglycommon. From a manufacturing point of view, thermoformed containers havedistinct advantages over other types of plastic containers, chiefly,those that are injection-molded. For example, thermoformed disposablefood containers are thinner, lighter, and use less resin material thaninjection-molded containers. A variety of resins and pigments areavailable, singly or in combination that can be used to produce avariety of colors and degrees of transparency in thermoformed disposablefood containers, from black to crystal clear, and some current clamshelldesigns use two different colors bonded together. Thermoforming alsoinvolves a one-sided mold, substantially reducing moldmaking costs whencompared to the two-sided mold needed for injection molding. But, mostimportant of all, thermoforming is substantially faster thaninjection-molding.

[0003] From a foodservice operator's point of view, thermoformeddisposable food containers are beneficial because they are widelyavailable, relatively inexpensive, stack in a fairly compact way, andare highly effective at containing foods and liquids.

[0004] The state of the art in thermoforming today, however, has itsdrawbacks. With rare exception, thermoformed disposable food containerscannot be economically manufactured in small quantities. Indeed,successful thermoformers aim to run one thermoforming “line” runningwith the same mold 24 hours a day for months on end. The result is thatall thermoformed disposable food containers basically look alike.Because it is difficult to differentiate thermoformed disposable foodcontainers unless they have a unique, patented functional feature, thistype of “commodity” thermoforming is highly competitive.

[0005] Thus, from a food service provider's point of view, thermoformeddisposable food containers are viewed as little more than efficient foodpackaging. With rare exception, foodservice retailers use “stock” cuplids, clamshell boxes, and the like because custom thermoforming is muchmore costly. For example, a restaurant that wanted to include its namein a thermoformed food container would need to have a mold made (or aninsert to a larger mold made) specifically for that customer's use.Because the mold must be tailored to an individual customer's needs,mold costs are relatively high, and the cost to the manufacturer ofturning off its thermoforming line to change molds for differentcustomers is also substantial. Finally, because so few thermoformerswill undertake low-volume “custom” work, the costs of shippingthermoformed disposable food containers from a far-off customthermoformer can be relatively high. Putting aside the higher costs ofcustom thermoformed disposable food containers, the technology offers noopportunity for the use of a contrasting color and, because the mold foreach letter of text or recessed area of an image must have a vacuumhole, it is difficult and prohibitively expensive to produce athermoforming mold with more than a few words of text or a simple image.

[0006] In today's foodservice market, however, branding and image isessential. Foodservice retailers invariably print logos, custom designs,entertainment “tie-in” promotions, and the like on paper bags and cups.Cup lids and thermoformed plastic food containers are, however,typically the same from retailer to retailer. In many instances, thethermoformed disposable plastic food container is the foodserviceoperator's last link to its customers: they sip through cup lids andthey eat or serve from the clamshell box or deli tray. Some foodserviceoperators have used printed, adhesive-backed stickers to enhance theappearance of thermoformed disposable plastic food containers, such assandwich boxes and deli trays, but this method of customization isexpensive, has significant size limitations, and the final appearance ofthe package depends on the skill with which the foodservice employeeattaches the sticker. The glossy look of most stickers might also beunappealing in certain situations, e.g., on the top of a hot cup lid.Some thermoformers are printing directly on the plastic during themanufacturing process, but, again, these technologies are complicateddue to the nature of the hot plastic, the molding process, and thepresence of static electricity. And, even without these limitations,changing from one custom-printed thermoforming job to another will bequite costly because the thermoforming line must be shut down during thetransition process.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0007] The present invention takes advantage of the “quantities ofscale” offered by thermoforming and combines it with low-cost and widelyavailable flat paper printing technologies to overcome many of the“image” disadvantages of thermoformed disposable food containers today.The invention is a shallow recess incorporated into existing or newthermoforming molds; this recess, when combined with a small snap “rim,”would accommodate thin printed cards. The cards could be printed,embossed, or otherwise marked on a wide variety of materials, includingplastic, foil, and films, although paper would most likely be the leastexpensive and the most popular. The snap “rim” is indicated in FIGS.14-16.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 shows a hot dome lid insert;

[0009]FIG. 1A shows a side view of a hot dome lid insert;

[0010]FIG. 2 shows a hot dome lid insert;

[0011]FIG. 2A shows a dome lid insert;

[0012]FIG. 3 shows a hot flat lid insert;

[0013]FIG. 3A shows a side view of a hot flat lid insert;

[0014]FIG. 4 shows a cold lid insert;

[0015]FIG. 4a shows a side view of a cold lid insert;

[0016]FIG. 5 shows a cold lid insert;

[0017]FIG. 5a shows a side view of a cold lid insert;

[0018]FIG. 6 shows a cold lid insert;

[0019]FIG. 6a shows a side view of a cold lid insert;

[0020]FIG. 7 shows a clamshell box;

[0021]FIG. 7A shows a side view of a clamshell box;

[0022]FIG. 8A shows a clamshell box wit multiple insert rims;

[0023]FIG. 8B shows a side view of a clamshell box with multiple insertrims;

[0024]FIG. 9A shows a deli tray;

[0025]FIG. 9B shows a side view of a deli tray;

[0026]FIG. 10A shows a plastic plate or deli tray bottom;

[0027]FIG. 10B shows a side view of a plastic plate;

[0028]FIG. 11 shows a thermoformed container top with large insertpanel;

[0029]FIG. 12 shows a thermoformed container top with small insertpanel, enhances display of container contents;

[0030]FIG. 13 shows a thermoformed container top with small insert areafor standard-size business card;

[0031]FIG. 14 shows a side view of a printed card on top of container;

[0032]FIG. 15 shows a side view of a printed card on bottom ofcontainer;

[0033]FIG. 16 shows finger indents for card removal;

[0034]FIG. 16A shows a side view of finger indents for card removal;

[0035]FIG. 16B shows a top view of finger indents for card removal;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] As indicated in FIGS. 1 through 13, the foregoing snaprim/printed card invention has wide application in thermoformed plasticdisposable hot cup lids, cold cup lids, clamshell boxes, deli trays, andplates. The invention covers all of these embodiments and any other inwhich a recess and snap rim are molded into a thermoformed disposablefood container for purposes of accepting a flat card. The insertincludes sip hole 1, paper inner lid 3 and recessed flange 5.

[0037] The shallow recess and rim could be molded into currentthermoformed molds with only minor modifications and without detractingfrom the appearance of the finished product. Indeed, most thermoformeddisposable food containers already incorporate inset panels to addstrength and enhance appearance. Thus, a thermoformed disposable foodcontainer could be modified slightly to incorporate the new technology,and the packaging would be as useful as it was before even if thefoodservice operator did not want to use custom-printed inserts in thecontainer.

[0038] Custom-printed inserts would, however, offer foodserviceoperators significant advantages. Visually, a printed insert, in up tofour colors, would be far more eye-catching than a plain “commodity”thermoformed plastic disposable food container. The insert could becustomized not only to identify the foodservice operator and reinforceits “brand image,” but also to serve as a convenient removable “coupon,”advertising flyer, or self-addressed feedback card—uses for which thecurrent labeling alternative, self-adhesive stickers, are impractical.In this regard, FIGS. 16A and 16B indicate a thermoformed recess andsnap rim that has small indents around the periphery of the printed cardto allow for easy removal. A small tab 7 could also be included in theprinted card to facilitate removal, as indicated in FIG. 3. The insertcards could also serve as games, toys, or collectibles. For example, thedonut-shaped insert in FIG. 6 could be printed to depict a flying saucertoy that could be removed and used by a child after the beverage isconsumed. Another embodiment would be to use a card that, when likely,just before the formed and slightly cooled pieces are die-cut) or afterthe thermoforming (either mechanically or by hand). Equally important,however, is the prospect of allowing foodservice operators to contractfor their own printing in the standard sizes. Thus, a foodserviceoperator could customize the lids themselves, adding the printed cardsat some point in the preparation and serving process. For the smallestfoodservice operators, the insert cards could be produced with apersonal computer and an attached printer. Again, it is anticipated thatthe shapes and sizes of the insert cards would, ideally, follow standardprinting formats, e.g., business cards, 4×5 inch notecards, half sheetsof paper, and the like, to simplify the printing process and utilizecard stock most efficiently.

[0039] None of the inconveniences and costs associated with customthermoforming applies to conventional printed card inserts. Print shopsare numerous and widespread, certainly more so than thermoformers.Indeed, printing is a highly competitive and price sensitive industry;if anything, it is more of a “commodity” business than the thermoformingindustry. Printing allows virtually photographic detail and fine-pointtext. Four-color graphics are visually exciting and permit images to berendered quite realistically.

[0040] In short, the use of a printed card insert and a shallow snap rimdesign in a thermoformed disposable food container would allow virtuallyunlimited customization of thermoformed disposable food packagingwithout it affecting the speed and efficiency of a thermoforming line ora printing line. The technologies could be combined in the thermoformingprocess, by the thermoformer after the container has been cut and beforeit is packaged, by a separate jobber prior to final delivery, or by thefoodservice operator immediately before serving. The invention thusoffers new opportunities for customizing food packaging at a relativelylow cost.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lid for a beverage container, comprising: acontainer attachment portion for attachment to an associated beveragecontainer, a cover portion extending radially inward from said containerattachment portion, a drinking opening formed in said cover portion, andan insert area formed in said cover portion, said insert area positionedto hold a separate paper insert with graphics printed thereon.